#GivingTuesday is fast approaching—are you prepared with a strategic social media plan that maximizes your reach and donor engagement?
Use the next few weeks to prepare a variety of posts for all your different social media channels including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Focus on the social media platform where your supporters are most active, but don’t neglect the other channels. If you have a social media team, aim to create unique posts for each platform rather than recycling the same content as some of your biggest supporters might follow you everywhere.
To ensure your posts will be seen by your supporters, post about your campaign early and often.. Here are some ideas of when and what to post on social media for #GivingTuesday.
One Month to Two Weeks Before #GivingTuesday
Starting a month to two weeks before #GivingTuesday, prime your donors for your campaign by sharing a save-the-date or countdown.
This is also a great time to educate your supporters about this global day of giving and why their participation and donations are so crucial to your organization. You can also begin sharing some of the goals your organization hopes to accomplish. Don’t forget to include donation impact metrics to help supporters visualize how their money will be used.
Save-the-Date Posts
📅 Mark Your Calendars!
We’re gearing up for #GivingTuesday on [Date]! Your donations will help us [specific impact: e.g., provide school supplies for 200 children in need]. Join us in making a difference!
We’re excited to share our #GivingTuesday goal: $50,000 to fund [specific program or cause]. Your generosity can make a huge difference—just $25 provides [specific impact, e.g., meals for a family for a week]. 🙌
Every dollar counts. Help us reach our goal!
Thanksgiving Day
Schedule some posts on Thanksgiving to share what your organization, staff, and beneficiaries are thankful for this year. Use these posts as part of your storytelling to motivate your supporters to donate on the big day.
Share photos and videos for more compelling posts. Don’t worry too much about having high-quality equipment or edited videos; what matters most is making sure supporters hear your story and begin connecting with your cause.
Gratitude Post
This Thanksgiving, we’re grateful for YOU, our supporters. Thanks to your contributions, we’ve [impact achieved this year, e.g., served 5,000 meals, supported 300 families, etc.].
Join us in giving back this #GivingTuesday as we continue to create change together. 🧡 #Thankful #GivingTuesday2024
Storytelling Post
Meet [Beneficiary Name]. This year, your support helped [describe the impact on individual/family].
“Thanks to [Organization Name], my family has [share personal success story].”
This #GivingTuesday, let’s do more together.
#Thankful #Gratitude #GivingTuesday
The Day Before
Remind your supporters and followers that #GivingTuesday is tomorrow. If you have a matching gift, use this opportunity to inform your supporters that donations go twice as far.
This is also a great time to make a “soft ask” and allow for early donations. Introduce your branded hashtag and text-to-donate keyword so supporters will have that at the top of their minds the following day.
Let your supporters know when to look for your first e-mail or what time you plan to go live if you will provide updates using Facebook Live or Instagram Live. Lastly, send them a branded “I am supporting” sign template they can edit, print, take a picture with, and share with their social network.
Last Reminder and Matching Gift Post
🚨 Tomorrow’s the big day! 🚨
Your support on #GivingTuesday will be DOUBLED thanks to a generous matching gift from [Matching Donor Name]. Your $50 turns into $100 to [specific impact].
Let’s make twice the impact!
#GivingTuesday
Soft Ask and Early Donation Post
#GivingTuesday is almost here! Can’t wait? You don’t have to—make your gift early and start the movement! 📲 Text “[Keyword]” to [Number] or visit [Link].
We can’t wait to celebrate tomorrow with you—thank you for your generosity!
#GivingTuesday #SupportOurMission
The Day Of
You can’t over-post on #GivingTuesday, as about one out of five posts are typically seen in a potential donor’s feed. At a minimum, share:
Continue to tell your story and provide information about your campaign throughout the day. Your supporters must feel emotionally connected to your organization to be compelled to give. #GivingTuesday is a high-volume day of posts from nonprofits so be sure your posts stand out from the crowd in some way. Perhaps that’s with a fun GIF, video, or any other quick storytelling medium you have access to.
If your #GivingTuesday campaign involves ambassadors or peer-to-peer fundraisers, reposting their content is another excellent way to increase the number of posts you are sharing and can create a more personal narrative to push more supporters to give.
Morning Post
🎉 #GivingTuesday is here! 🎉
Support [Organization Name] by donating now—your gift will help us [specific impact, e.g., provide clean water to 500 families].Donate here: [Link]
Text “[Keyword]” to [Number] 📲Let’s make today count! 💪
#GiveBack
Midday Progress Update
We’re halfway through #GivingTuesday, and thanks to YOU, we’ve already raised [Amount]! Can we reach [Next Goal]? 💙
There’s still time to make a difference—every donation matters. Donate here: [Link]
#GivingTuesday
Last Chance Post
⏰ Time’s running out! ⏰
It’s your last chance to join us for #GivingTuesday and make an impact. Your gift helps [specific impact: e.g., provide emergency shelter for families in crisis].
Donate before midnight: [Link]
#LastChance #GivingTuesday #SupportOurMission #MakeADifference #DonateNow
Watch Giving Tuesday Game Plan: Strategic Marketing for Nonprofits.
This session provides essential strategies to craft a winning game plan for the year’s biggest giving day. You’ll learn how to set clear goals, create compelling messages, leverage social media, and deeply engage your donor base.
After #GivingTuesday
The day after, don’t slow down quite yet!. Share your final progress update toward your #GivingTuesday fundraising goal. If your donation page had a progress bar, you can use this to encourage additional donations and begin transitioning to your year-end giving messaging. Post both a general thank you to all your donors and supporters, as well as a specific post for donors who have given you permission to tag or shout them out on social media.
Final Update Post
What an incredible #GivingTuesday!
Thanks to YOU, we raised [Total Amount Raised], which will help [impact of donations]! But we’re not done yet—help us finish strong by donating here: [Link].
Together, we’re changing lives!
#ThankYou
Thank You Post
A huge THANK YOU to everyone who supported us on #GivingTuesday! 💙 You helped us raise [Total Amount] to [specific impact]. Together, we’re making a real difference!
As a global day of giving, #GivingTuesday can be overwhelming for some nonprofits. There can be a lot of competition for attention, especially from other nonprofits in your community and worldwide. This is why it is so important to post often and create engaging content that tells your organization’s story. Focus on personal stories and encourage your most dedicated supporters to share on their personal pages.
Looking for more? Check out our toolkit for inspiration, templates, and more to help you find success on #GivingTuesday.
Campaign Examples
Over the Rainbow (OTR) Housing
OTR Housing had been participating in #GivingTuesday and sending an annual appeal letter for years. It was moderately successful, but it lacked the spirit of OTR Housing. Their team was looking to stretch their creativity, truly inspire giving, and host a campaign that was truer to the OTR Housing community and mission.
The OTR Kindness Tag Holiday Fund raised double in its first year compared to its previous Giving Tuesday and end-of-year campaigns. It is very active on social media, sharing donors’ posts, thanking sponsors, and sharing the impact a donation can have on its mission.
Beyond Hunger
Beyond Hunger started planning its #GivingTuesday campaign early in October! The organization’s social media shared a countdown, impact metrics, its generous $15,000 match, and some of auction items that were a revenue enhancer for its #GivingTuesday campaign.
Its planning paid off, and Beyond Hunger raised an incredible $98,673. The team didn’t stop on the day either, thanking donors via text and social media immediately after the day wrapped up.
Our goal at GiveSmart is to help nonprofit organizations create and manage successful digital fundraising campaigns, raise more money, and retain donors longer. Request a free demo with one of our fundraising experts to learn, step by step, how GiveSmart can simply help set up your campaigns while transforming your results.
